NC Drinking Age Question

[SoCalDukeFan]

When I went to Duke the drinking age for beer/wine was 18. I assume it is 21 today. I am sure that many students have fake ids (my kids did in California) and get served.

Would a prominent freshman/sophmore (say a Duke or UNC athlete) get served in Chapel Hill or Durham in a bar or restaurant?

Please DO NOT REPLY with "Yes I saw so and so drinking beer." I am not interested in the name.

Thanks

SoCal

[Channing]

The drinking age is 21 for any type of alcohol. However, a lot of establishments are 18 to get in and 21 to drink. Technically they should not serve anyone under age, but Im sure Fake IDs are readily available, and if it is anything like Athens, not carefully scrutinized.

[Clipsfan]

When I went to Duke the drinking age for beer/wine was 18. I assume it is 21 today. I am sure that many students have fake ids (my kids did in California) and get served.

Would a prominent freshman/sophmore (say a Duke or UNC athlete) get served in Chapel Hill or Durham in a bar or restaurant?

Please DO NOT REPLY with "Yes I saw so and so drinking beer." I am not interested in the name.

Thanks

SoCal

I remember stories of prominent athletes being involved in fights etc around the bars in those areas, which suggests that they were at least inside them if not drinking.

I know that I've seen prominent athletes who were underage drinking at Los Angeles bars.

[diablesseblu]

When I went to Duke the drinking age for beer/wine was 18. I assume it is 21 today. I am sure that many students have fake ids (my kids did in California) and get served.

Would a prominent freshman/sophmore (say a Duke or UNC athlete) get served in Chapel Hill or Durham in a bar or restaurant?

Please DO NOT REPLY with "Yes I saw so and so drinking beer." I am not interested in the name.

Thanks

SoCal

In answer to your questions...yes, the legal age in NC is 21 and fake IDs abound.

However, in the past two-three years, law enforcement has cracked down on underage drinking....especially in the Triangle area. There are many more undercover agents and coordinated, cooperative "assessment" operations. Consequently, establishments live in fear of losing their licenses.

Have seen underage athletes out drinking but it has been at big private parties. On a positive note, college kids today (at least at Duke) are much better about calling taxis or van services if they've been drinking.

Am certain some bars still serve underage athletes but it's no longer commonplace. It's just too risky for them.

[ugadevil]

The drinking age is 21 for any type of alcohol. However, a lot of establishments are 18 to get in and 21 to drink. Technically they should not serve anyone under age, but Im sure Fake IDs are readily available, and if it is anything like Athens, not carefully scrutinized.

In Athens, I don't think they'd care if you showed them a student id that had nothing but your picture...that would suffice.

[Bluedog]

ALE (Alcohol Law Enforcement) and other agencies have been trying to crack down on underage drinking in recent years. In fact, in the fall of 2006, there were a total of 201 arrests and citations among Duke students for all types of offenses off-campus. 173 of these were underage drinking citations/arrests given by ALE. Link

They were also cracking down in 2005: "194 students received citations [from ALE] in Aug. 2005." during their off-campus raid during orientation week.
Link

However, the Alcohol Law Enforcement agents illegally obtained evidence by entering homes without search warrants, etc. so the DA dismissed citations for 75 Duke students. Who was the DA? None other than Mike Nifong!! Wouldn't have guessed that, would you? DA throws out cases

The last two years, ALE hasn't shown it's face as much around Duke, but continues to say that it could show up anywhere, anytime....It has gotten a lot riskier using fake IDs, but people still do it. The vast majority of bars and restaurants in the area DO check ID, although not that closely to spot a good fake. There are perhaps one or two places that typically don't check ID.

[SupaDave]

Durham and Chapel Hill aren't necessarily known as party towns so I'm sure many of the students do their drinking in house - if at all.

Sure the players can get whatever they want at the bar. That's like any other D-1 athlete in the United States - not to mention when some of these kids are celebrities.

Is it the bars or the drinking that is your main concern? These are college kids so why would a player HAVE to go to a bar?

[ugadevil]

Is it the bars or the drinking that is your main concern? These are college kids so why would a player HAVE to go to a bar?

Good point. There was research done in Athens that found that the majority of sicknesses/deaths/problems with college students drinking alcohol came from parties or drinking that was done at parties in dorms/apartments/houses. The opponents of college drinking want to close down the bars, but the most dangerous activity seems to take place in off-campus housing.

[pamtar]

Just look at the arrest history of various UNC players. Most of them were busted for fighting while intoxicated.

[SupaDave]

Oh trust me - as a frat member I was privy to MANY binge drinking activities. It is nothing new at all. I'm finishing at GA Tech right now and the difference between UGA and Tech is night and day. The Tech kids really DO study all the time.

[ugadevil]

Oh trust me - as a frat member I was privy to MANY binge drinking activities. It is nothing new at all. I'm finishing at GA Tech right now and the difference between UGA and Tech is night and day. The Tech kids really DO study all the time.

You go to Georgia Tech?!?! And you're a moderator?! Gross! Is it okay to put a moderator on your ignore list?

[SoCalDukeFan]

Durham and Chapel Hill aren't necessarily known as party towns so I'm sure many of the students do their drinking in house - if at all.

Sure the players can get whatever they want at the bar. That's like any other D-1 athlete in the United States - not to mention when some of these kids are celebrities.

Is it the bars or the drinking that is your main concern? These are college kids so why would a player HAVE to go to a bar?

I had read reports of frosh/soph players drinking at bars. It just seemed to me that the authorities could easily cite the bars for serving minors. I know that college kids drink, have fake ids, etc. and that players and students can drink in houses etc. However it seemed to me that a well known player who was rather obviously under 21 should have a hard time getting served at a bar.

SoCal

[DST Fan]

ALE (Alcohol Law Enforcement) and other agencies have been trying to crack down on underage drinking in recent years. In fact, in the fall of 2006, there were a total of 201 arrests and citations among Duke students for all types of offenses off-campus. 173 of these were underage drinking citations/arrests given by ALE. Link

They were also cracking down in 2005: "194 students received citations [from ALE] in Aug. 2005." during their off-campus raid during orientation week.
Link

However, the Alcohol Law Enforcement agents illegally obtained evidence by entering homes without search warrants, etc. so the DA dismissed citations for 75 Duke students. Who was the DA? None other than Mike Nifong!! Wouldn't have guessed that, would you? DA throws out cases

The last two years, ALE hasn't shown it's face as much around Duke, but continues to say that it could show up anywhere, anytime....It has gotten a lot riskier using fake IDs, but people still do it. The vast majority of bars and restaurants in the area DO check ID, although not that closely to spot a good fake. There are perhaps one or two places that typically don't check ID.

I seem to recall that, during the August 2005 orientation weekend, a large number of Duke freshmen received citations for underage drinking at a Durham Bulls game. That may have been connected to the 2005 enforcement activity you refer to in your post.